Device for effecting the hermetic closure of containers for preserves and analogous purposes



Aug. 7, 1956 M. A. s. MUNOZ 2,757,501

DEVICE FOR EFFECTING THE HERMETIC CLQSURE OF CONTAINERS FOR PRESERVESAND ANALOGOUS PURPOSES Filed Aug. 20, 1953 //v VENTOR MIGUEL ANGEL 5/41MMu/voz United States Patent DEVICE FOR EFFECTING THE HERMETIC CLO- SUREOF CONTAINERS FOR PRESERVES AND ANALOGOUS PURPOSES Miguel Angel SaliaMufioz, Mexico City, Mexico Application August 20, 1953, Serial No.376,786

1 Claim. (Cl. 56-441) This invention refers to a process for effectingthe hermetic closure of containers to be used repeatedly, for solid andliquid preserves, as likewise to the device for carrying out saidprocess, said process and device providing, respectively, a coordinatedseries of successive operations and a combination of means which allowof efficiently obtaining an eifectively hermetic seal which differs, byvirtue of its effects, from the presently known process and device, asdescribed hereinafter.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a new andoriginal process by means of which a normal peripheral pressure can beapplied to the container so that the usual closure means for suchcontainers, i. e. the ring and cover, provide a true and efficienthermetic closure, not obtained heretofore by the usual process ofcomplementary joining by means of rotary wheels which produce aperipheral and successive tangential pressure on said container butwhich process is ineflicacious for establishing a perfect andfluid-tight seal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process, with the devicefor carrying it out, by means of which there is obtained a liquid-tightseal of a metal cover or one made of some other appropriate anddeformable material, with an elastic closure ring, for example of rubberor plastic, both adapted to the edge of a frusto-conical container, suchas a glass made of plastic or glass, and by means of which the normaluniform peripheral pressure is not applied to the container but ratherdirectly to the elastic ring, which absorbs the stress and is uniformlycompressed throughout its mass between the edge of the cover and thesurface of the container next to its edge, thus establishing a perfectliquid-tight seal.

As a proof of the advantageous nature of this closure or seal, comparedto that obtained by means of complementaiy joining, it can be mentionedthat a container closed by means of the rotary wheel system, is easilyopened by hand, simply by pulling the container cover upwards, whereasthis does not occur with containers closed in accordance with theprocess constituting the object of the invention.

Furthermore, the known processes, by means of the application ofpressure tangentially to the container, are costly because of the greatnumber of containers which break due to any defect in their shape. Itcan likewise be affirmed that due to the impossibility of applyingstrong pressures, in the known systems of tangential complementaryjoining, an hermetic seal is never obtained, it being necessarytherefore to employ chemical preservatives which may harm ones health.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a combination ofmeans which constitute a device formed by two elements, male and female,similar to dies; the pressure required to effect the closure beingexerted by means of said device.

Other objects will become evident in the course of the followingdescription, to which is attached, by way of il- 2,757,501 Patented Aug.7, 1956 ICC lustration, a sheet of drawings in the figures of whichappear the means utilized for carrying out the process.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate, respectively, in conventional perspective,the cover and a container with the packing ring, said cover and ringbeing used to effect the closure of the container, as is the presentpractice.

Figure 3 illustrates, in elevation and partial vertical section, thecontainer with the male and female elements or dies in their preliminaryposition, said elements being used to effect the closure in accordancewith the process which is one of the objects of the invention.

Figure 4 illustrates, in elevation and partial vertical section, thesame elements in final position after having effected the operation, i.e. the hermetic closure.

Referring to said figures, the invention is characterized substantiallyby providing a process for the hermetic sealing of containers withelastic rings, made of rubber or other appropriate material, and laminarmetallic covers or the like, said process comprising the followingoperations: (1) A ring, 1, of rubber or some other elastic material, isplaced close to the edge of mouth 2 of the frustoconical or slightlyconical container, made of glass or plastic or even metal, 3. (2) On topof the mouth or orifice 2, of container 3, one places laminar cover 4,provided with a skirt 5, the transverse section of which presents anentrant right angle 6 and another projecting right angle 7, the elasticring 1 being enclosed by the annular portion having the entrant angle 6,of the skirt of cover 4. (3) The container is introduced into the femaledie, 8. (4) Male die 9 is placed on top of cover 4. (5) Finally thereare applied, in the press, two opposed pressures, namely pressure P onthe lower part of female die 8 and another pressure P on the upper partof male die 9, whereby is produced the uniform and simultaneouscomplementary joining along all the periphery of the ring of elasticmaterial, which is compressed between the skirt of the circumferentiallyfit cover and the periphery of the container, near the edge of itsmouth.

The device which likewise constitutes an object of the invention and bymeans of which the above-described process is carried out, isillustrated in Figures 3 and 4, and is formed substantially by thecombination of two cooperative pieces or dies, one of them being thefemale die 8 and the other being the male die 9.

Both dies are of a shape conforming to that of the cover, which in turnconforms to the shape of the container, which is circular in the presentinstance.

Accordingly die 8 has a cylindrical shape in its interior part 10,larger in diameter than the container. Near its upper part there isanother cylindrical part 11, larger in diameter than the former, saiddiameter corresponding, on the one hand, to that of skirt 5 and, on theother, to the outer diameter of die 9. The outer and lower portion ofthis die has a recess or step 10 for the purpose of placing it in thepunch press for the pressure fit or complementary joining.

The depth of cylindrical portion 11 is substantially the same as thevertical dimension of skirt 5. The lower part of cylindrical portion 11tangentially engages the lower part of a half-tubular or grooved annularsurface 13, the free peripheral edge of which, 14, engages cylindricalsurface 10.

Die 9 has an annular edge 15, the width and height of which correspondrespectively to the portions of cover 4, whose transverse section formsentrant right angle 6. Said die has a flat central portion 16 and acylindrical orifice 17, to bear upon cover 4. Another upper cylindricalcavity 18, larger in diameter than the former, serves to lighten the dieand to secure it in the punch press which in the present instance actsas the pressure-fitting device, inasmuch as once cover 4 and its ring 1have been placed upon the mouth of container 3 and die 9 has been placedupon this cover and said die has been telescoped upon die 8 of thepress, it suffices to exert the proper pressure on these dies, by actionand reaction, to effect the closure; it being precisely the half-tube orgroove 13 which forces skirt 5 to bend upwards'from below and inwardlyfrom the outside, on elastic ring 1, in order to compress it uniformlythroughout its peripheral extent, against the associated periphery ofthe container.

This system of pressure fitting or complementary joining, by means ofpressures which are colineal, coactuating, and opposite in direction, iswholly different from the system of complementary joining by means ofrotary wheels which act tangentially and successively upon the peripheryof the packing ring and produce a defective seal. By contrast, the sealobtained by the coactuating colineal action of the oppositely directedpressures, applied to the dies, in combination with the semi-tubularform given to the female die, and on which the elastic packing ring isshown placed, causes the skirt of the cover, by being forced to followthe direction of said half-tubular form, to fold upward pressing thering, said ring adapting itself with uniform stress at each of itspoints to the peripheral surface of the container, thus forming anefiicacious and perfect seal.

It is evident that some modifications can be made in the combination ofelements intervening in the die device, with regard to the form thereofwhich, instead of being circular, could be oval, square, etc., accordingto the shape of the mouth of the container and therefore according tothe shape of the cover; likewise the container may be cylindrical andprovided with a groove or flutings in which the elastic ring is placed,without this altering the essence of the invention as set forth in theattached claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I consider as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

A device for effecting the hermetic sealing of a cover having a skirtportion, an elastic ring and a frusto-conical container, said devicecomprising cooperative male and female dies; said female die comprisingan annular ring the internal surface of which is stepped axially thereofand defines a lowering opening and an upper opening with an intermediateoffset therebetween, said lower opening being slightly larger than themaximum dimension of the container and said upper opening being largerthan said lower opening and corresponding to the dimension of the coverskirt portion, said offset comprising an annular channel ofsubstantially semicircular section with its outer peripherysubstantially contiguous with the surface of said upper opening and itsinner periphery substantially tangent to the surface of said loweropening; and said male die comprising an annular flange telescopicallyengageable within the upper opening of said female die for depressingthe cover skirt portion into said channel to roll the edge of the skirtportion around the elastic ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,067,797 Chellis July 22, 1913 1,154,352 Townsend Sept. 21, 19152,686,624 Podesta Aug. 17, 1954

